Centers and Institutes

 

The University of Chicago is home to more than 140 interdisciplinary centers and institutes that bring together scholars from across academic disciplines and around the world to conduct transformative research. Eleven of these centers and institutes are part of the Office of the Provost, and are listed below. For a complete list of the University’s 140+ centers and institutes, please visit https://www.uchicago.edu/research/centers/.

 

Arts + Public Life (APL) is an initiative of UChicago Arts at the University of Chicago launched in 2011 that provides residencies for Black and Brown artists and creative entrepreneurs, arts education for youth, and artist-led programming and exhibitions.

 

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics brings together researchers from the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics, the Booth School of Business, the Harris School of Public Policy, and the Law School to address difficult economic problems. Using data and cutting-edge analytical tools, researchers put ideas into action to inform key decision-makers.

 

The Center for RISC's mission is to generate breakthrough solutions to the world’s most difficult social problems. Staff investigate today’s social issues by combining unconventional perspectives with empirical data, generating radical solutions with real-world relevance. They then test and scale those solutions through a mix of partnerships with academics, nonprofits, government agencies, international organizations, and private corporations.

 

The Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture is dedicated to promoting engaged scholarship and debate around the topics of race and ethnicity. Central to the center’s work is the acknowledgement that race and ethnicity intersect with other primary identities such as gender, class, sexuality, and nationality, necessitating the exploration of social and identity divisions within racialized communities.

 

Court Theatre is the professional theatre of the University of Chicago, dedicated to innovation, inquiry, intellectual engagement, and community service. 

 

The low cost of fossil fuels makes them the default energy choice to power growth in many settings. Yet, failure to sharply reduce emissions from fossil fuels is causing disruptive climate change. The Institute addresses this challenge by combining frontier research with a pioneering approach to education, leading to a new and deeper understanding of the climate challenge as well as practical, effective solutions.

 

The nonpartisan Institute of Politics is committed to fostering in our students a passion for public service and active engagement in our democracy.

 

At the Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation, researchers from the social, natural, and computational sciences and humanities study the processes that shape global, sustainable urban development. The Institute generates best practices around urban development, while training the next generation.

 

The Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society brings together scholars and practitioners to solve complex humanistic challenges. Through faculty research projects, a global fellows initiative, and exhibitions, the Neubauer Collegium explores novel approaches to complex human questions.

 

The Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago is a site for rigorous inquiry and exchange that encourages the examination of complex issues through the lens of art objects and artistic practice. Through strong community and scholarly partnerships, and the Smart Museum incorporates diverse ideas, identities, and experiences into its exhibitions and collections, academic initiatives, and public programming. 

 

The UChicago Arts landscape is a robust cultural scene where scholars, students, artists, and audiences converge, explore, and create through a suite of initiatives and programs including the Arts, Science + Culture Initiative, the Richard and Mary L. Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry, and the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts.

 

Established in 1890, the University of Chicago Press disseminates scholarship of the highest standard and publishes serious works that promote education, foster public understanding, and enrich cultural life.